Homework: High School Student

Are your children stressed out, not getting enough sleep, time with family, or other time for their extracurricular activities because their amount of homework? Many people are debating about the homework policy. â€Å"Are the teachers giving too much homework, just the right amount, or to little? † I think that students should receive a limited amount of homework each school day. Other parents may disagree and think, â€Å"Homework is important. It helps educate them. † If students have a limited amount of homework, they would have less stress and more free time for other activities. When students receive too many homework assignments and are forced to stay up late to complete them, they have to stay up late which effects their sleeping hours and routines. An example is my sister’s homework. She is a high school student in her sophomore year. Every day, after school, she goes to her room and works on her homework until about 12am to 1am. Students who have to do this will be tired for the next day of school. Also, during that night of homework they go through, they receive great amounts of stress of trying to finish to sleep in the hours they are required to, but at the same time they want to achieve quality work on their assignments. They need free time for other activities without homework getting in the way. Kids should be able to play for about a couple of hours for health reasons. On the other hand, homework helps review the lesson of that day and exercises your.

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Essay

Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom Little, better known as Malcolm X were major figures in the civil rights movement in the United States. Despite fighting for the same cause, which is to see that all individuals in the United States are indeed equal regardless of race, both men take a different approach in furthering the cause. They both decried the injustice committed against the black people by the whites and wanted to see it come to an end. It was for this reason that the civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1960’s. The most obvious difference is the stance they took in pursuing their goal. Little, who became Malcolm X after converting to Islam, puts emphasis on self-empowerment among the black people, as well as other racial groups in the US for that matter; that they should use any means necessary to win their freedom and equality if society would continue to marginalize them. In trying to understand why Malcolm X was rather militant in his appraoch to the point of being â€Å"nationalistic,† one has to understand that he was born and raised in a ghetto where life was rough which resulted in the murder of his father and his mother committed to a mental institution. In as much as he deplored the racists, he also deplored whites who pretended to sympathize with them and pay lip service to their support of their cause. It is for this reason why he wanted thje blacks to empower themselves because he felt nobody will do it for them (Breitman, 1965, p. 26). King was brought up in a well-to-do family in spite of their race and he â€Å"borrowed† the approach taken by Mahatma Gandhi of nonviolent resistance as the means to accomplish their goal owing to his avocation as a minister who eschewed violence. King agreed with Gandhi’s principle that the oppressors need to see the evil they are committing to make them stop; for to fight back would make them further justify their actions. If Malcolm X were to have his way, he could have dragged America to another civil war, especially if he intended to use Islam as a vehicle to advance his cause, whereas King used a combination of Christian faith and Gandhi’s teachings which is compatible to the former (Vander Lei & Miller, 1999, pp. 84-85). Both men were assassinated for they were seen as a threat by their opponents. In the end, the civil rights movement was successful when the government passed a series of laws that once and for all ended segregation. The impact was not immediate and its effect was felt gradually through the passage of time and the proof that it was successful was evident with the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. And if one were to ask who would get the credit, the most likely answer would be Martin Luther King Jr. and his Gandhi-

Topic by yourself Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Topic by yourself - Dissertation Example Basic small fashion business theory and principles were examined and issued within the scope of the study of as well. In-depth research into areas of luxury brand loyalty and image, as reflected by the fashion consumer, were discussed in order to better understand the various influences that marketing has on the small fashion business. In addition, data relevant to the overall luxury fashion business was analyzed and discussed in an effort to compare that information with the gathered qualitative data. Static data collected from gathered case studies are also presented to illustrate the attitudes of luxury brand fashion items that are inherent in the industry today. By presenting a combination of theoretical and practical analysis, final conclusions and recommendations are issued at the end of the study. 1. Introduction Fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry, and the luxury brand makes up a considerable portion of that prowess. Luxury fashion consumers, to a large degree, are the face and voice of the entire industry and, as such, it is important to understand the distinctions that make up various brands and give small fashion businesses a relative and comparative advantage. ... 1). These are important distinctions to be made from the outset, primarily because luxury brand items carry substantially more market appeal than other types of fashion accessories. They cannot be easily replicated and the consumer develops a strong loyalty toward a brand, but not necessarily toward a product. A successful brand is vital to the success of a fashion company, as it most often results in a competitive advantage over others in the same niche market (Aaker, 2004). Not only does a particular brand greatly contribute to the overall profit generated by a fashion company, but it also serves as the fact of the company by implementing a particular name or symbol that consumers can identify with. These ideas and concepts distinguish them from their competitors and generate interest within the market itself. Logos, trademarks, and package design all contribute to the image of the luxury brand, necessitating that fashion companies focus on the development of they major brands in o rder to identify and differentiate one company from another (Aaker, 2004, p. 5). With the continuing development and expansion of the global luxury fashion industry, there has come a renewed emphasis on understanding the consumer that desires to purchase such items and to apply a proper growth strategy that will form the future of fashion building. 2. The Nature of Fashion Building Fashion building takes time. The nature of developing a brand image that appeals across sectors of society takes ingenuity, design, and a bit of luck. It requires the foresight to understand the affluent consumer, the willingness to adapt to changing markets and circumstances, and the desire to maintain that competitive edge that separates it from the rest. 2.1 Branding and Communication

Accounting Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Accounting Information System - Essay Example The company is in the process of determining the advantages and drawbacks of automatic feeding of data by the use of the GL software. Data extraction- this is the act of mining raw data from the accounting information system in use by the company. The question is whether the data can sustain numerous needs of the company and the accuracy of the data. Data analysis- after data has been extracted from the system, the company has to enter into the analysis stage where the details of the customers are identified to determine how they could be applied to increase the sales volume of the company. Taking Orders- customers who demand the company’s products were to make order manually, either via telephone or online ordering. This means that the activity of ordering had to be undertaken by the company staff that had to capture the requirements of the customers. Processing orders- after taking the orders, the customer service personnel of top burger had to process the customer orders to ensure that the customers received exactly what they required at the nearest stores. Delivery- burger undertook the activity of delivering their goods to the customers at their doorsteps as a way of gaining competitive edge against their competitors and as a means of increasing their sales volume. Preparation of daily sales- restaurant managers were charged with the obligation of preparing daily sales summaries that were to be electronically submitted to the company administrators the next day. The activity assists in determining the level of sales of the company. System management activities- these are the activities, which involve the maintenance of the IT system to ensure it, worked effectively and smoothly. It also ensured customer integration in the transaction processing system. Promotion activities- promotion is one of the strategies that businesses use in marketing their products to the target market. To achieve this, top burger promoted amateur athletics and other communit y groups to win the loyalty of the community. Question 2 I think that Top Burger business strategy drives the development of its information system. Top burger has the growth strategy that entails increasing their customer base and their lines of products. Growth strategy also involves the improvement of their number of processes. This can be justified as follows: Bob is worried on whether the increasing number of orders could be sustained by the company current systems. This means that the developments in the system is compelled by the increased number of customers i.e. the high activity during peak season require enhancement of information system. The growth in the number of sales propelled the acquisition of new equipment. Bob argued that a new machine would make automatic feeding of data possible and this would increase the pace and quality of service delivery. The multiple activities also made the management review the ability of the information system to facilitate the diverse needs (Roman, 2008). The growth in the number of activities therefore called on the need to develop IT infrastructure. A look at the companies timeline also shows that it was because of the growth record that the company decided to begin making online ordering through the internet in 2003. The first prototype was also opened as the growth continued. Moreover, Bob’s worry is on the ability of the IT system in supporting the business strategy. He is concerned with the limitation of the current system to provide sufficient internal controls, improvements because of the integration and the use of software in supporting

Marketing questions x 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing questions x 2 - Essay Example The manager must try to keep his services memorable to his customers each time he provides it. Though there are no direct considerable benefits from intangible services, manager must give priority to this process as it helps him/her to circulate the brand name. Inseparability of services means the services cannot be separated from the persons or sources that provide them. This feature helps the marketer to maintain a good relationship with his /her customers. Since the services are inseparable from the provider, the manager or his staff should be pleasant and polite enough while providing their services in order to ensure good service experience to the customers. Variability or heterogeneity of services is another important tool to anchor a firm’s sustainability in market. It means services are variable on the ground of individuality of service providers and service delivery time. The customers always like to get the most efficient and consistent service whenever they require it. Hence, in order to meet customers’ needs, managers have to develop well-organized selection and training programs for their staffs. The marketer can also arrange a ‘customer satisfaction monitoring system’ which would help him/her to assess the effects of the services provided. ‘Peishability of services’ also have considerable significance in the development and execution of marketing plans. Perishability of services means, the service is decayed quickly or cannot be stored as it is intangible. In order to overcome the perishability of services, managers must try to maintain a balance between the demand and supply of their com modities (Fisher, Pride and Miller 32-33). The characteristics discussed above can be explained with an example of a service experience I have had as a customer. Once I visited a car showroom to get detailed

Jackson and the Cherokee Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jackson and the Cherokee - Coursework Example The white settlers thus sought to introduce a civilized system of settlement. They therefore needed to secure adequate land for such practices. The interaction of the two cultures thus caused intense cultural conflicts, which had varied ramifications. The Cherokee’s way of life made it difficult to develop ordered societies as propagated by the white settlers. The white settlers therefore tried to reform the behavior and cultures of the native communities including the Cherokee through a concerted assimilation exercise. Culture is dynamic a feature that justified the actions of many indigenous societies that adopted the new ways of life. The Cherokee did not change their cultures thus resulting in their forceful eviction from their land to Indian Territory. The white proponents of the act explained that the removal of the indigenous community was the surest way of creating peace among them thus enhancing their prospects of settling in the region and exploiting the resources of the land. The Cherokee on the other hand endured disease, hunger and death owing to the maltreatment. The Act disregarded the human rights and privileges of the indigenous people as the whites fronted their culture irrespective of the feelings of the other

Persistent Online Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persistent Online Games - Essay Example Online gaming can involve both technological and social risks, which may cause harm to the subscribers by expending cost as well as time. Various online gaming hazards are related to the computer users, but the users are not aware about the harms caused to the computer. Online gaming raises technological risks such as ‘malicious software’, ‘viruses and worms’, ‘insecure game coding’ and ‘insecure games servers’ among others. In addition, online gaming raises social issues that include ‘identity theft’, ‘virtual mugging’ ‘cyber prostitution’, ‘social engineering’ and ‘virtual sweatshop’ among others (Hayes, 2008). The designers should give some support to the people by the help of general security practices and by gaming specific security practices. The moral responsibility of designers is to ensure the security in terms of privacy and traffic safety. Additionally, the designers are required to ascertain that online gaming violence is not involved in the games. However, the social risks as witnessed by users depend on individual grounds, as playing online games is based on their perceptions and actions (Hayes, 2008; Sicart, 2005). From the above discussion, it can be comprehended that online gaming is popular amid youths. Online gaming is also identified to cause certain harm to the subscribers in relation to technological and social risks. It has been recognized that subscribers have certain moral responsibilities in terms of maintaining privacy and minimizing violence. On social grounds, the users are accountable for their individual responsibility considering health and social

Economy of any country in the world Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economy of any country in the world - Term Paper Example The topic is of importance as it addresses serious concerns and a significant setback to the development and economic independence of Germany. The consistent rise in pension to the ageing population results in higher taxes affects the nation’s contribution to the European and NATO defense activities. As at 2013, Germany’s GDP reduced significantly (Federal Statistical Office, 2015). That represents an underperformance in the GDP of Germany compared to her trading partners in the EU such as Italy, France, and Spain. German’s membership in the European Economic and Monitory Union (EMU) leaves the German Bundesbank out of control of its monetary policy. Instead, it depends on the European Central Bank (ECB) for determination of the rate of interest and money supply in setting monetary policy (Forex Market Watch, 2015). Macroeconomic policies in the EU grant the ECB bank the authority to reduce interest rates. In 2012, the ECB reduced the rates only from 5.6% to 4.1% this it does in the favor of nations with higher GDP growth leaving Germany, the largest economy in the EU, adversely affected. In the 1960s, Germany’s unemployment rate was at 2.7%, the percentage reversed suddenly in the onset of the new millennium with the rate of unemployment rising to 10.4%, as at 2005. The unexpected increase in unemployment rate was an indication of low performance of Germany’s economy as compared to the rest of EU nations. Germany’s unemployed population often has little motivation to find jobs because of low wages. The unemployment rate is also propelled by lack of benefits to those earning average salaries (Ahearn & Belkin, 2010, p. 6). Germany’s low productivity experienced in the 90s and early 2000s led to the collapse of its major industries (OECD, 2011, p. 22). The output per hour per employee dropped at an annual rate of 4.7% between 1995 and 2007, and this was an acute decline compared to the

Job satisfaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Job satisfaction paper - Essay Example Having good people skills helps a lot, and I was lucky that I grew up with people who taught me how to be sensitive to what other people needed so that I could help them meet those needs. I also love to spend time thinking after I learned from an older friend who was an up and coming management trainee that this is what successful managers do: think. At first, I thought it was a waste of time, but one day, when I tried it out as I planned for an important event (actually, a party for some cousins who were visiting from out of town), it dawned on me that it was cool. Spending an hour thinking, writing things down, going through the plan over and over again saved me some hours that I would have used correcting mistakes, changing plans, or saying I'm sorry for screwing up. Since that day, I invested some time to think things through instead of attacking each activity without a plan, based on sheer determination alone. This was how I learned to clarify goals, think of the best people who can take the assignment, and knowing how to communicate the goals, the assignment, and the deadline in a way that encouraged them. I also learned to make the most out of mistakes others committed, making them (and myself) see the positive side, the things we learned from those mistakes, instead of wasting time finger-pointing that got us nowhere. So much time is wasted looking for someone to blame that if people only used that time learning, they could have accomplished much more. Thinking also helps me improve my productivity. Before I work on anything, I think about why I am doing it (goal), how much time I have (time), and what I need to reach the goal within the time limit (resources). If I needed things I didn't have, I would ask for it; and if I didn't get it, I would think how I could improvise. I learned that in the real world, we cannot get everything we want, but the world still expects much from us. That's the way the world turns, so instead of whining about not having everything I needed, I instead find a way to use my creative imagination to move forward and start getting to work. I also make it a point to teach these same skills and work habits to the people I work with, more so with those whom I want to do things for me. And I am not afraid they would replace me or get higher pay, because making myself dispensable also makes me promotable. How can I be asked to work on bigger things if I don't train people to take my place More than knowing how to work and motivate others to be productive, I also have a higher goal, a mission to see the world and help other people, because I have always wanted to reach out and make a mark in other's lives. This is why I enjoy working as part of a team. One summer, I read a book (Maxwell, 1998) a friend gave me. In fact I still have it on my bedroom shelf, and it struck a raw chord inside. Right then and there, I knew that I wanted to be a leader, to make my life useful, to be different by studying and working harder and doing things not because others were doing them, but because it was the good and right thing to do. This thought has served me well ever since. What keeps me satisfied in my job The first thing is the nature of the job itself. I want to grow, learn, and contribute to the

Drinking Milk Essay Example for Free

Drinking Milk Essay Introduction A: Gaining Attention Give the audience some question as: 1. how many people in the audience have a habit drinking milk for daily diet? 2. are you take care of your family or yourself by the way drinking milk? Why? B: Motivating The Audience: Comparing the differences between people drink milk and not. C: Establishing Credibility: give the audience some popular benefits when drinking milk from some famous expert nutrients in the world. D: Preview Of Main Ideas:now I will show you bebefits of drinking milk, it n ot only supply nutrient for people health, promote well being for all people especially with patient but also build strong bones and teeth. Body Main idea 1: Milk Supply Nutrients For People Health †¢ â€Å"Milk contain more and more mineral, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin, phosphorous and so on â€Å", according to well known nutrition expert Dr wendy Bazilian, author of the superfoodrx diet and co-owner of san diego-based bazilian’s health clinic. †¢ Milk contains 87. 5% of water, 3. 9% milk fat, 8. 8% solid non fat which includes protein, lactose, minerals and acids, enzyms and vitamins. Proteins include caseins, whey proteins, lactabumin and lactoglobulin. The main sugar present in the milk is lactose. It also contains vitamins A,C,D and amino acids. ? With baby:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ? With adult:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ? With old people:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Main idea 2: Promote Well Being For All People †¢ Milk is very necessary for people. Specially, milk is very good for patient. It’s not only supplies eough energies minerals, proteins, but also it increase resistance and promote well being for all people. †¢ With normal people, milk plays inportance for both health , skin, and intestine. With patient, it promotes well being very quickly. For example, reducing blood pressure and diabetes, calcium, magnesium and potassium content in milk helps to reduce the blood pressure and diabetes. Reducing the risk of colon cancer, consuming at least one glass of milk per day reduce 15% risk of developing colon type of cancer. And buiding intestinal health. In the market, there are many kinds of milk. It is not only suitable with many kinds of diseases but also promote well being for people. For example with patient,they need more nutrients to improve the health but maybe they can not eat some nutrients food because it containt some matter that not good for their diseases. Milk will help them to supply every necessary nutrients, it can instead of the daily diet. -As you know the popular milk for pateint as ensure,.. ,†¦ Main idea 3: Milk Buids Strong Bones And Teeth. †¢ According to nutrition expert Bazililan, there are 99% of body is calcium is stored and hundreds of studies have shown that calcium in milk help improve bone densty, balance of other nutrients that have been proven to buid bones and teeth as well as promote the healthy function of blood usels. †¢ More milk-stronger bones, as it contains abundant calcium. Calcium also acids in muscular and circulatory function, prevents osteoporosis†¦ †¢ Fighting cavities: protein, calcium, phosphorous content in the milk products the tooth enamel, stimulates saliva production, and neutralizes food acids. Milk containt†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦supply †¦% calcium per day for health†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Arcording to studies show that: percent peole drinking milk are live more longevity than people don’t drinking milk. In modern life,people drinking milk hold approximate 85%. It show that the inportant of drinking milk in life. ( So drinking milk is the convinience, quickly,save money for modern life. Conclusion A: Signaling The Ending: I’m going to the finish this topic. B: preview of main points: I found it very convinience and good for us if drinking milk everyday. It supply nutrients for people health, promote well being for all people, and buid strong bones and teeth. C:Reference To Introduction Give some web adress a bout effect of milk with healthy to audience D: Ending With Impact Change your habit by the way drink milk everyday, you can change your health more and more strong and young,your life will more quality because it prevent your health out of some hard diseases in the future.

Walt Disney Company Analysis | Five Forces and SWOT

Walt Disney Company Analysis | Five Forces and SWOT Multinational Corporation (MNC) is a large company with plants or other direct investment in one or more oversea countries. In the same way, it is also called a transnational corporation or an international corporation. The multinationals usually provide technology, finance capital, and marketing skills in return on a profitable market and where they operated in developing countries. However, even the high class industrial nations may be the scenes of investment by multinational companies. The multinationals have power that can influence over the foreign governments. It has been the criticism target, but many host countries have imposed regulations and given them a larger share of profits, jobs, and markets. (Investments Income, 2007-2010) Multinational corporations can be categorized into three types integrated according to the structure of their production instruments, such as horizontally integrated multinational corporations, vertically integrated multinational and diversified multinational corporations. Horizontally integrated multinational corporations manage production establishments located in different countries to produce the same or similar products, like McDonalds. Vertically integrated multinational corporations manage production establishment in certain country/countries to produce products that serve as input to its production establishments in other country/countries, like Adidas. Diversified multinational corporations manage production establishments located in different countries that are neither horizontally nor vertically integrated, like Microsoft. (Investments Income, 2007-2010) Company Information 2.1 Company History The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is the second largest media and entertainment corporation in the world, after Time Warner. It founded on October 16, 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney as a small animation studio. But now it has become one of the biggest Hollywood studios, and owner of eleven theme parks and several television networks, including the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The Walt Disney Companys corporate headquarters and primary production facilities are located in California at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank). The headquarters is located in USs large-scale multinational corporation. The primary service manufactures including the entertainment program, subject park, toy, books, computer game and media network. The philosophers stone movie company, the Miramax movie, Hollywood Movie Company (company), the abundant great audio and video product, the ESPN sports, the ABC television network all is its uneven under company brand. (Usahm.net, n.d) Since its founding in 1923, The Walt Disney Company and its affiliated companies have remained faithful to their commitments that produce unparalleled entertainment experiences. It based on the rich legacy of quality creative content and exceptional storytelling. The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments, such as media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. (disney.com, n.d) 2.2 Company Structure Walt Disneys Creative Organization Chart (Source: Kuang, C., 2009) Roy Disney was fighting for a strangely organized company that the Walt Disney Company created in many aspects. It depended to refining remarkable ideas rather than hovering profits. In other words, check out his organization chart of Disney under Walt Disneys Creative Organization Chart (above). (Fast Company, 2010) As At Issue points out, this wasnt your standard pyramidal corporate hierarchyit was one used to giving autonomy to the people. And it actually making the films, and letting each of their own processes works out themselves. Naturally, as Disney grew into a corporate behemoth, that organization was swept away in favor of layers of VPs and SVPs. Hence, Disney never makes movies again like they used toJust as Roy always argued. (Fast Company, 2010) 3 Globalization 3.1 Definition Globalization is the system of interaction among the countries of the world in order to develop the global economy. Globalization depends on the integration of economics and societies throughout the world. Globalization involves technological, economic, political, and cultural exchanges made possible largely by advances in communication, transportation, and infrastructure. (Hubpages Inc., 2010) There are two different types of integration, such as negative integration and positive integration. Negative integration is breaking down of the trade barriers or protective barriers such as tariffs and quotas. The migration of barriers can be profitable to a country if it allows for products that are important or essential to the economy. For example, by removing barriers, the costs of raw materials imported will decrease and the supply will increase. Therefore, it can make cheaper to produce the final products for export (like electronics, car parts, and clothes). (Hubpages Inc., 2010) Besides, positive integration is used to standardize the international economic laws and policies. For instance, a country which has its own policies on taxation trades with a country with its own set of policies on tariffs. In the same way, these particular countries must have their own policies on tariffs. By following the positive integration and the continuing growth on the influence of globalization, these countries will process on having similar or identical policies on tariffs. (Hubpages Inc., 2010) 3.2 Impacts of Globalization Global tourism is maybe the most obvious performance of a shrinking world to the western citizen. It allows short term travel to almost any part of the world, an avenue for greater social and cultural awareness and understanding. Vacations may now only a couple of days, instead of the month long tours on past centuries, no longer the domain of the ultra wealthy with increasingly cheaper flights. Disposable income and leisure time increased have empowered the western citizen to travel beyond national borders cheaply and easily. The Walt Disney Company manages the worlds largest vacation resort: Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as well as managing the top eight most visited theme parks in worldwide (TEA, 2010), occupying the leisure tourism market. It is significant to recognize that all the worlds offerings, so many people choose to vacation at Disney resorts. Even in the richer countries, tourism is very often a luxury unaffordable of the majority, especially regular internatio nal traveling. (Disney, 2010) Disneys power is dramatic. It will able to pressure governments of many major countries. Firstly, when Disney decided to create a central Asian resort, the company decided sites in China, South Korea, Singapore and India in order to set in Hong Kong (TNF, 2010). Disney was able to play offset the majority of countries against one-another as to secure the greatest financial benefit for the Walt Disney Company. A strategy is previously exercised in Europe (primarily between France and Spain) for Euro Disney (Lainsbury, 2000), and before that in California between the city councils of Anaheim and Long Beach for their second California park (Blue Sky Disney, 2007). In Hong Kong, Disney was able to secure a 43% stake in the resort, even if the contribution is less than 20% of the construction costs (Balfour, 2009) due to the enormous tourist boost Disney would guarantee (Hong Kong, 1999). (Disney, 2010) Globalization seems to have produced a commoditized, corporate-controlled experience of the world. For instance, being the relatively new Disney tour company Adventures by Disney. The Walt Disney Company applies the unlimited practices of its theme parks to real locations in pre-arranged itineraries such as Peru Vacation and Cities of Knights and Lights in London and Paris (Disney, 2010). Convenience and luxury replace uncertainty, providing the experience of backpacking adventure in a controlled manner effectively, and its all lead by knowledgeable Disney guides. For Adventures by Disney, perhaps the world isnt shrinking and the uninteresting parts are simply being cut out. For better or worse, what was once exotic and unusual is now becoming a tourist hotspot, where real culture is replaced in favor of tourist expectations and demands. The tourist gaze empowers the tourists contribution to the symbols of a culture unwisely. (Disney, 2010) Whether globalization is truly global, or simply an expression of Americanization, is uncertain. In terms of the Walt Disney Company, it is proudly American. The company devotes Disneyland to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America, in the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world (Marling, 2004). Disney is not only benefitting from this Americanization, but spreading it or even forcing it in some cases. Disney are adopting and selecting which elements they wish to claim as their own in line with Western ideologies. Probably in the future, this may balance, but as present there is certainly an American, or at least, Western governance. As so many of the folk stories and fairytales that had inspired, the designers of Disneyland Paris planned their project honestly to be a gift of the best of Americana to Europe, and sharing American culture with the continent that had provided Walt Disney. The result is a combination of genuine i nternational communication, and business practices. (Disney, 2010) Porters Five Forces Model 4.1 Threat of New Entrants Since the Walt Disney Company has been able to find a very unusual niche within the industry, the entrance barriers are high relatively. The company is able to grow over a long term period, and has to develop from the departments of Research and Development (RD), marketing, and finance. By depending on past experience, the company officials know to a large extent what the target customer wants. (scribd.com, n.d.) Threat of Substitute The products or services are moderate to low. Other cartoon figures, theme parks, and movies can search the market in which the Walt Disney Company is operating in, but this is obviously representing a significant threat. The Walt Disney Company has placed price controls on many of its product lines already, and should be able to cope with other new competitors. However, by upgrading products and services, the threat alone of new entrants into the market requires the Walt Disney Company to hedge against such risk by simultaneously. (scribd.com, n.d.) Bargaining Power of Suppliers The suppliers are governed by a few companies as the Walt Disney Company is operating in a highly differentiated and unique industry with high switching costs associated with operations. Besides, they are most probably very concentrated. However, the Walt Disney Company is a unique company and important customer of many suppliers. Furthermore, the size of the company may be a great advantage certainly. The company will create a dependency relationship in the industry by being able to order large volumes of unique products from unique suppliers. (scribd.com, n.d.) Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers is high in the service and in the entertainment industry. The customers have powers certainly since a large number of customers are needed to make the Walt Disney Companys operations run smoothly. For example, if the price on a particular home video is too high, customers may be averse to spending the money needed to purchase the products. Another example is the entrance fee charged at the Walt Disney Companys theme parks. Furthermore, the entertainment industry does not take the buyer money, even if it is planned in a way that it will make the buyer spend more. A majority of the Walt Disney Companys product mix focuses on intangible returns of the buyers money. However, some customers may not realize that they are getting such a return may increase the bargaining power of the customers. (scribd.com, n.d.) 4.5 Rivalry among Existing Firms It does not play a very important role in the Walt Disney Companys external operational environment. Nevertheless, it is true that the companys exit barriers are extremely high. Furthermore, capacity is expanded in extremely large investments. However, there are no closer direct competitors to the Walt Disney Companys operations. Competitors such as Lonely Tunes retail stores do not appear to appoint themselves to expensive advertising campaigns in order to obtain market shares. Moreover, the Walt Disney Companys products are highly differentiated. The switching costs are therefore quite significant. A multinational corporation such as the Walt Disney Company faces internal weaknesses and strengths, which can to a certain extent be controlled. The external forces such as opportunity and threats are more difficult to control, and the Walt Disney Company has to adopt and take advantage to those forces. (scribd.com, n.d.) SWOT analysis 5.1 Strength The Walt Disney Companys main strength is in its resources, its experience in the business, and its low-cost strategy. Besides, the company has developed clearly a very strong and well known brand-name through many years. The company has also been able to diversify its operations and products to hedge against decreasing sales in product lines. In recent years, it has categorized into Home Video, Film, merchandise, Radio broadcasting, Net-work television and in theme parks. It has also effectively diversified globally its operations from USA to Japan and Europe. The main strengths in internal resources relate to human resources and financial stability. Employees in the Walt Disney Company studies appear to be extremely creative and they have produced several box-office productions in these recent years. A company without new ideas is bounded in todays competitive business environment. However, the low-cost-corporate-strategy is a benefit for the company. The company can control costs, and still produce quality goods and services. Financial risks have been minimized by sharing initial investment costs with a maximum number of outside participants. (scribd.com, n.d.) Weaknesses Corporations always have internal weaknesses. The Walt Disney Companys main weaknesses are the following: A very large work load, often changes in top-management, and high overhead expenditures. The company has 58,000 employees in 1991. This fact represents possible communications problems, and a high bureaucracy level through the corporation. The companys work load will increase even larger, and the organizational structure has to be able to support an extension of the work load by varying into more businesses and niches. The company has a very frequently changes and its corporate officers makes the corporate structure even more difficult. There are many positive things that often changes, but the changes are also associated with resistance, and high expenses. (scribd.com, n.d.) Opportunities External opportunities should be recognized, analyzed, and responded to in a very early stage. The Walt Disney Company is facing several external opportunities. However, the external threats facing the company are out-numbering the opportunities. Opportunities include the following; positive government attitudes towards its operations, barriers of entry are significant, and include the entertainment industry itself. Legal and legislative forces are usually identified as negative external factors to the company. Furthermore, the French government contributed greatly in the Euro Disneyworld project in the Walt Disney Companys case. The French government invested in the project to built communication facilities, and gave the Walt Disney Company tax reliefs on cost of goods sold accounts. In addition, since the barriers of entry into the highly specialized industry in which the Walt Disney Company is still operating, competition will find it difficult to penetrate the companys highly div ersified product or service mix. Therefore, large initial capital investments are required to enter the industry accordingly. (scribd.com, n.d.) Threats Major threats to the Walt Disney Company include the following; Over saturated markets, politics and economic aspects from a global perspective, and foreign competition. As the supply of products and services in the entertainment industry is starting to saturate the markets, competition will be more exciting, and only the most powerful companies will be able to survive finally. The Walt Disney Company has leveraged this risk to a certain level as it has diversified and globalized its operations, but still, the company is in the service/entertainment business. The Cable-giants such as Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS) may not be able to manage the stress on its operation such as the Network-television division. (scribd.com, n.d.) Strategies The Walt Disney Companys corporate level strategy is based on a horizontal and scattered informal management approach. Ideas are born within the departments and are processed throughout the low hierarchy relatively from the final decisions. The management is placed on group creativity and in teamwork. For example, the most creative employees usually met the target in the purpose of generate with new ideas and new business strategies. As seen in this example, a large emphasis is focused on employee participation, especially on the most talented employees. Furthermore, the company is always refreshing its top management with new executives. Top-flight managers from the entertainment corporation and the financial business think new ideas and concepts which can be applied in the Walt Disney Company. There is however a significant increase in expense attached to attracting the very best to join the company. This increase in expense is related to special perk-packages directly, higher bonu ses and escalated salaries that are offered to the top-executives. (scribd.com, n.d.) Another interesting strategy is the focal point that is focused on enhancement of the business. The corporate policy is to grow slowly instead of impress others. It is important for the company to meet demand with a sufficient supply of goods and/or services. It can be accomplished by effective distribution channels and marketing department. This leads us to another corporate policy, efficiency and suppression. Recently, movie industry trend towards increase in costs rapidly, it have a direct effect on the profitability of the company. By reducing the costs involved in making and marketing Disney films, it is cheaper and more profitable movies can be produced. Efficiency enforced by tight budgets and expected high returns, Disney must be able to produce more efficiency and cheaper than its competition. (scribd.com, n.d.) In addition, the corporate strategy is clearly focusing on diversifying its products and services. The expansion overseas rapidly and an increase in the product and service mix have created an umbrella effect. Thus, risks have been reduced and minimized. If one product line fails, other product lines have to cover for its losses. (scribd.com, n.d) The Walt Disney Company is able to produce more and more products to the others countries which do not have Disneyland. Instead of going toward the countries that have Disneyland, the customers also can buy the Disney products in their own countries. Conclusion As a conclusion, Walt Disney is a master in globalization. It is one of the largest companies on the planet. Disney markets worldwide itself, creating big amount of revenues and further establishing itself as a global brand. It brand has been further developed as a result of merchandising. Merchandising has played a huge role in establishing the brand. (Suite101.com, n.d.) An important factor in the success of Disney has been the integrated nature of its products, with synergies between film and television, between media and theme parks, and between theme parks, hotels and resort operations, according to the 1998 book Embracing and Managing Change in Tourism: A Globalised Theme Park Market? The Case of Disney in Europe. (Suite101.com, n.d.) 8 References WEBSITES Multinational corporation (MNC) [Online] Available at: http://www.investmentsandincome.com/investments/multinational-corporation.html [Assessed 11st November, 2010] The Walt Disney Company Introduction [Online] Available at: http://www.usahm.net/news.asp?id=86 [Assessed 13rd November, 2010] The Walt Disney Company Overview [Online] Available at: http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/overview.html [Assessed 13rd November, 2010] The Walt Disney Company Structure [Online] Available at: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/cliff-kuang/design-innovation/roy-disney-rip [Assessed 15th November, 2010] Definition of Globalization [Online] Available at: http://hubpages.com/hub/Definition-of-Globalization [Assessed 20th November, 2010] Impacts of Globalization [Online] Available at: http://www.theneverlandfiles.com/misc/ColeYoungerDisneyGlobalization.pdf [Assessed 20th November, 2010] Porters Five Forces Model [Online] Available at: (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() [Assessed 28th November, 2010] SWOT analysis [Online] Available at: (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() [Assessed 3rd December, 2010] The Walt Disney Company Strategies [Online] Available at: (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() [Assessed 6th December, 2010] Conclusion http://www.suite101.com/content/disney-and-globalisation-a196391#ixzz17mk5w65J [Assessed 7th December, 2010] PICTURES, IMAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHS Walt Disneys Creative Organization Chart, 2009. Chart. [Electronic print] Available at: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/cliff-kuang/design-innovation/roy-disney-rip [Assessed 15th November, 2010] Disney and Globalisation, 2010. Marketing the Brand. [Electronic print] Available at: http://www.suite101.com/content/disney-and-globalisation-a196391#ixzz17mk5w65J [Assessed 15th November, 2010] Walt Disney, 2008. Header Logo. [Electronic print] Available at: http://www.toxel.com/design/2008/08/20/20-famous-logo-designs/ [Assessed 6th December, 2010] Disney Motion Picture Art, 1998-2010. Collections. [Picture] Available at: http://www.motionpictureart.com/Disneyana-p-1-c-35.html [Assessed 6th December, 2010] 9 Appendices Appendix 1 Source: Walt Disney, 2008

Equivocation and Double Meanings in Macbeth :: GCSE Coursework Macbeth Essays

Equivocation and Double Meanings in Macbeth Shakespeare uses equivocation not to confuse but to either get across multiple meanings or to leave dialogue and events in the play open ended. Equivocation can be seen with the witches and whenever they talk. The witches are themselves a vague set of characters who talk in a puzzling riddle-like manner. For instance when Macbeth goes to see them for the second time they are very vague about predicting his future, intentionally confusing him and making him overly confident. An example of this riddled dialogue goes like this: All (three witches): Listen, but speak not to't. Apparition: Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until; Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him. Macbeth: That will never be: Who can impress the forest, bid the tree ... That excerpt shows how the witches twist and play with Macbeth's mind and feelings. By the end of the Apparition's lines, Macbeth is convinced he can not be killed by anyone, and so grows in confidence till seething and almost rupturing with it. It also shows Shakespeare's use of equivocation and how, unless certain lines are studied, their true, if vague, meaning cannot be seen or understood. The quoted phrase, â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair† is used frequently, the phrase itself is an oxymoron. Early in the play the reader sees Macbeth as the hero because he has saved all of Scotland from the Norwegians. Duncan, honoring Macbeth, says, â€Å"More is thy due than more than all can pay.† (Act 1, Scene ) Towards the middle of the play the reader suddenly begins to pity Macbeth, slowly realizing his encroaching insanity for what it is, a downward spiral of death and increased mistakes. Finally, at the end of the play, the reader's opinion of Macbeth moves more towards hate and a feeling that Macbeth is unmistakably evil. As the second witch said: By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes: (-Act 4, Scene 1) Such is Macbeth's fair to foul story in a flash. There is also Lady Macbeth, Macduff, Malcolm, and Donalbain, and perhaps even Banquo. Each of these character's development follows the â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair† format.

Beluga Whales :: essays research papers

A. Swimming. 1. In general, beluga whales are slow swimmers. They commonly swim about 3 to 9 kph (1.9-5.6 mph). They are, however, capable of sustaining a maximum speed of 22 kph (13.6 mph) for as long as 15 minutes (Nowak, 1991; Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). 2. Belugas can swim forward and backward (Nowak, 1991). 3. Beluga whales often swim at depths barely covering their bodies (Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). B. Diving. 1. Beluga whales typically don't dive very deep, usually to about 20 m (66 ft.). Belugas are not generally thought of as deep-diving marine mammals, but they are capable of diving to extreme depths. Under experimental conditions a trained beluga whale repeatedly dove to 400 m (1,312 ft.) with ease, and even dove to a depth of 647 m (2,123 ft.) (Nowak, 1991; Ridgway et. al., 1984). 2. A typical dive usually lasts three to five minutes, but belugas can stay submerged for as long as 15 minutes (Nowak, 1991; Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). 3. In estuaries the usual diving sequence lasts about two minutes; the sequence consists of five to six shallow dives followed by a one-minute-long deeper dive (Ridgway and Harrison, 1981). 4. All marine mammals have physiological adaptations for diving. These adaptations enable a beluga whale to conserve oxygen while it's under water. a. Beluga whales, like other marine mammals, have a slower heart rate while diving. A beluga whale's heart rate slows from about 100 to about 12 to 20 beats per minute during a dive (Ridgway, 1972). b. When diving, blood is shunted away from tissues tolerant of low oxygen levels toward the heart, lungs, and brain, where oxygen is needed. c. Beluga whales retain more oxygen in their blood than most mammals do. A beluga whale's blood volume percentage (5.5%) is higher than a land mammal's, and similar to a Weddell seal's (a deep-diving marine mammal). One study found a female beluga to have 16.5 l (17.4 qt.) of oxygen in her blood (Ridgway et. al., 1984). d. The muscle of beluga whales has a high content of the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin. Myoglobin stores oxygen and helps prevent muscle oxygen deficiency. C. Respiration. 1. A beluga whale breathes through a single blowhole, a modified nasal opening. a. The beluga whale holds its breath while under water. b. It opens its blowhole and begins to exhale just before reaching the surface of the water. c.

Britain And America Revolution :: essays research papers

Since the historical conflict between Great Britain and her North American colonies began to unfold, historians have searched for the reasoning behind it. Many experts have discussed the various reasons for the conflict. Some experts believe the conflict occurred because America and Britain had become vastly different social and political entities. Others say that economical disagreements caused the conflict. However, these economical and social forces worked hand-in-hand to slowly erode away the binds that held America to its Mother Country. The traditional liberties of Britain and the newly established liberties of America were very different. After the French and Indian War, the colonies were “heavily'; taxed to sow together the damaged British pocketbook. These economical problems and social distinctions needed to be mended simultaneously or the war could not be avoided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, the traditional liberties of Britain were considerably different from the political and social origins of America. From the beginning, America developed different character than its Mother Country of Great Britain. In New England, where the seeds of revolution were sown, merchants used their shipping trade to defy English duties on sugar. As a result of this, additional troops were sent to the colonies to enforce British laws. Later, when the Quartering Act was passed, Americans complained against not only the taxation, but also an infringement on their rights of property. Before the conflict between Britain and France over the Ohio Valley and Canada, America was given practically free reign over its political liberties too. It set up colonial legislatures and citizenship by the act of owning land. Its government system wasn’t based on birthright and a monarch, they were for individual freedoms and the right to participate in government. But when the “tyrannical'; King George jumped in demanding control of the colonies, they were angered and looked for a way to keep their liberties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second, America was taxed by the British government to decrease its national debt. Due to their differences in economic base, Britain was self-sufficient in manufacturing goods and the colonies in agriculture. They both needed each other to survive initially. Later, however, America grew more self-sufficient and was able to survive without Britain’s helping hand. America had developed ships to trade with, which were primarily based in the New England colonies. America developed a strong agricultural base and crop source in the southern plantations and middle, “bread';, colonies. They also utilized these economic resources by generating trade with other countries such as France and her West Indian colonies.

Mean Creek

Film Report ‘Mean Creek' In the film ‘mean creek' directed by Jacob Aaron Estes. We see a group of teenagers who try to play a trick on the bully in the movie, but it goes horribly wrong. A main Idea In the film Is the way the relationships change between everybody from the start to the end of the movie. The director uses 4 aspects, sound, lighting, camera shots and dialogue, to communicate the theme of change in friend/relationships.The director uses camera shot, lighting and sound in the scene where they are all sitting on the river bank after they play truth and dare and George gets pushed overboard by Rocky because he wouldn't shut up about Martyr's father, but then George freaks out and drowns to death. We see a long shot of them all sitting away from catheter. The director uses positioning to show the feeling of Isolation. The director uses this aspect to communicate the beginning of separation between there friendships.They all feel guilty because they had decided not to play the trick on George anymore, because they started to feel sorry for him, but Marty choose otherwise. The director uses the lighting of a blue filter across the screen to show that this a sad moment and everything has been completely messed up. The sounds of Violins and soft music in the background gives us that felling that everything is changing for the worst and that their relationships will probably never be the same again.Also the aspect of lighting and sound links into the theme of separation and contributes to the mood because up to this point there group was always collective, but are now separate. Now they all have different decisions on what happens to George. Some want to bury him and the others want to confess and go to the police so they don't look guilty. After George dies it goes all silent and that's when it starts to et darker. The director uses dialogue and close ups in the scene where Millie runs off and Sam follows her. We hear the dialogue between the m â€Å"Buck you. † â€Å"We can never be forgiven for what we did. We see a the close up of Mile's face and how scared and traumatized she Is. The director uses these aspects to show us how much Millie has changed from the start, when she was day dreaming about her date with Sam. She seemed so innocent and was only concerned about what she was going to talk to Sam about on her date. Millie was the only one who didn't know of the plan until they got to the river. So there Is a sense of betrayal between her and Sam. This shows how murder can change the way people feel and their relationships can be affected in a situation like this.I think the director is trying to show us how people deal with guilt. Millie try's to blame Sam, Sam try's to blame Marty. But really they are all to blame, they were all apart of It. The director uses sound and close ups in the scene where they are paddling back to 1 OFF paddles hitting the water. The director uses the sound of water to remind us that they are surrounded by water, that water is what killed George and they can't get way from what they did. We also see close ups of each of their faces one at a time. We know that each character is going through conflicting emotions.There is no eye contact or emotion between each other. Their faces look exhausted and pale, some with tears down their face. The director uses these aspects to show and communicate the feeling of guilt and disbelief. It almost gives you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. The nonexistent dialogue between each other shows the breakdown In their relationships and makes us wonder what they're thinking and feeling. This for me was one of the most powerful scenes throughout the movie, because I know nothing could be the same again.Lighting is used in the scene where they're driving back from the river and its all dark and silent. It gives off a gloomy, uneasy feel almost like that what they're feeling inside and that's being portrayed through the l ighting of the scene. The director used this aspect to communicate the change in all their relationships between one another, because as seen in the start of the movie the lighting is bright and there is lots of color to give Off nice, relaxed vibe. So the darkness and lack of light gives us he feeling that their relationships have somewhat deteriorated since earlier that day.It also shows the passing of time as it was daylight at the start of their trip and now its evening. This could symbolize not only the end of the day, but the end of Georges life. Also the loss of their innocence. In conclusion he director has communicated the theme of the change in all of their friend/relationships throughout the movie with the help of these four aspects, lighting, sound, camera shots and dialogue. I think this film helped me realize that because of a little mistake made by someone, can or will change your life forever. By Messiah Wales

Minds Are Opened Only When Hearts Are Opened Essay

â€Å"Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.† James Dewar To create the life that you want, growing as a human being and regularly experiencing a prosperous lifestyle, you will need a mind open to other people, possibilities, ideas and opinions around you. When you have an open mind you allow yourself to attract and follow up on opportunities. When you work with the power of the conscious and subconscious mind you will attract opportunities that will bring you what you need; for what you radiate you will constantly attract. When you are prepared to become creative you will create a vibrant life, while eliminating negative and unwanted situations. Most people think they already listen to others with an open mind, merely by paying close attention to what is being said. In fact, keeping an open mind is not easy to do if you are happy with the way you are doing things and do not see the point of changing. We all have moments, however, when we do listen with an open heart and mind, for example, we are more open to listening to someone we trust. An open mind is an understanding mind which will develop a genuine appreciation for people. When you take the trouble to think of other people’s feelings, their viewpoints and their desires you are saying â€Å"people are important†. An open mind will accept other people unconditionally. It requires the letting go of likes and dislikes and other similar emotions. When you do this you discipline your emotions and you allow people to be who they are with all their idiosyncrasies, differences and irritations. When you are communicating with others there can often be misunderstandings and these can lead to failure in your relations with others. We expect others to react and respond and come to the same conclusions we do over a given set of facts. Unfortunately, no one reacts to things as they are but to their own mental images; they are responding appropriately to what they see as the truth about the situation. An open-minded person will ask themselves â€Å"How does this appear to that person?† or, â€Å"How does that person interpret the situation?† and they will try to understand why someone might act differently to the way they expected. Many small business owners have faced extinction because they thought they knew it all and were not prepared to have an open mind and listen to others who had been down that path before them. When you are open minded you are always prepared to be teachable, to learn something new and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. An open mind is the doorway to expansion of ideas. When you open your mind you are not compromising your ethics and values. It just means that you begin to practice a greater sense of awareness and in doing so you are prepared to look at your world a little differently. Test opportunities that are presented to you and examine where the message is coming from. It may be from a friend, a neutral party or from a source about which you are sceptical. If you are not sure, instruct your subconscious mind to guide you by simply saying, â€Å"I am making the right decision.† Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. A Closed Mind â€Å"A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood. – Chinese Proverb. We have all been given the power to develop ideas and exercise free will. Unfortunately too often those ideas die as a seed and people use their free will to close their mind to the tremendous opportunities surrounding them. This stubbornness prevents them from achieving the goals that they want for themselves and so the opportunity for success is greatly decreased. In our formative years we grow and develop egos that maintain very particular ideas about ourselves in relation to the world around us. Your ego is your conscious mind, that which controls your behaviour and tries to give meaning to your external, material reality. It is powerful and can control your life if you allow it. Your external reality is a direct result of your mental and spiritual self so if the latter two are not where you want them to be your external and material self will suffer. The ego cannot improve the quality of your mental and spiritual life. When you close your mind you essentially become stubborn and become a victim of the ego mind which says, â€Å"My attitude is right despite what anyone else has to say†. The ego mind, although it thinks it knows better than anyone else, is never prepared to leave its comfort zone and so is not open to new ideas nor will it welcome others into its world. This kind of attitude shuts you off from the process of life and nature which is about growing and experiencing new possibilities. Think about how many times you were resistant to trying something new only to eventually give in and discover that you really enjoyed the process. Limitations are the jail of the mind so if you can throw off the shackles and open your mind to new and exciting ideas, your possibilities become limitless. When the mind is shackled and limited it affects every part of your life, for example, work presentations can lack innovation and impact and even every-day conversations are less productive and rewarding. Conversations often become defensive as the mind closes off to what is being said by others. Society today gives out a negative message that everyone is out to ‘take you down’ and that if it ‘looks to good to be true, it probably is’. This causes many to close their minds to everything beyond their current knowledge. An open mind is a mind that is aware that the current knowledge is not all there is to know and will eagerly investigate possibilities. When you have a closed mind to new and exciting possibilities you essentially tell yourself that you are not willing to go the extra mile – that you are not willing to grow and experience new things. You have now switched off the power within you and there can be no change and no progress in life and things will never improve. Such people become very introspective and weak. The old recordings of the past can, however, be changed. If you choose, you can wipe the old record clean, put on a new record and make a decision to activate the positive thoughts which lead to a relaxed and open view of the world. Remember, the past explains how you got to the present but where you go from here is your responsibility. In his book A Vision of Power & Glory, John Kehoe gives a Zen parable about two monks who are on a journey together when they come to a river. By the river there is a beautiful woman. The woman asks them, â€Å"Please will one of you monks carry me across the river? The river is too wide and the current too swift.† The two monks look at one another, because they have taken a sacred vow to not so much as even touch a woman. Then, abruptly, the older monk picks up the woman, carries her across the river and puts her down on the other side. They continue on their journey. The younger monk is flabbergasted. He can’t believe it. An hour goes by and not a word is spoken between them. Two hours. Three hours. And finally, after four hours, he turns to the older monk and blurts out, â€Å"How could you have done that? How could you have carried that woman?† â€Å"Oh?† responds his companion, â€Å"Are you still carrying her? I put her down four hours ago.† John Kehoe goes on to say, â€Å"How much are we still carrying around inside us that should have been put down a long time ago? Disappointments; regrets; failures; grudges. How much junk are we carrying around inside us and how long are we going to carry it? All our life?† If you want to change and improve your attitude to life then it is imperative that you keep an open mind. That is not to say you will be taken in by every ‘fly-by-night’ scheme that may be put before you. An open mind is curious and investigative and examines new things. Your creative power system uses your conscious and subconscious mind to attract, explore and check out new opportunities so that you can begin achieving your goals and creating the life you want. Don’t limit yourself; learn how to attract new possibilities and make the right decisions by developing the power of your mind and heart. If you move in your community with an open mind and an open heart you can learn to accept others. You don’t have to agree with them, but accept who they are and feel free to express yourself. I remember a friend of ours who has passed on now, who was well-known and well-liked in community affairs. He met many people as he moved around and sometimes in a gathering he would be heard to say, â€Å"There’s a fellow over there I met recently and I didn’t like him; I must go over and get to know him better†. He would always come away with a new-found friend; now that’s an open mind and open heart.

Conceptualizing a Business Essay

Strategic planning for the purpose of developing a business is vital. In my opinion, a strong vision, mission, and values make up the foundation that is required to build a successful business. This paper will introduce the business selected in week two and will explain the importance of the selected business’s vision, mission, and values as they correspond in determining a strategic direction. The created vision for this organization will clearly demonstrate the future plans for the business. The guiding principles or values for the selected business considering the topics of culture, social responsibility, and ethics will be defined. Next, an analytical overview of how the vision, mission, and values guide the organization’s strategic direction will be discussed. Finally, an evaluation of how the organization addresses customer needs and critiques how the business achieves competitive advantage will be performed. When selecting a business these planning processes are important and will help define what direction the business is going in for success. The first objective in strategically planning a business is to have a vision. As stated by BusinessDictionary. om, a Vision Statement is: â€Å"An aspirational description of what an organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. It is intended to serves as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action. † The vision for the company is to be like Wal-Mart, a one-stop shop. I envision the hair salon to become a unisex salon, spa, and barber shop. The vision is for a person to come in and get his or her hair, nails and skin care, while having the option to purchase professional hair and beauty products at a fair and reasonable price. The vision is to incorporate a boutique where not only can people get pampered but can also buy a nice outfit to complete their look. The motto is, â€Å"We keep you neat from your head to your feet,† and therefore incorporating a boutique will confirm the motto of the business. The vision is to incorporate services that will stand out only in said selected salon and to provide professional caregivers and products to make customers feel as if they are on top of the world relaxing in a cloud of comfort ability. The business selected is a professional hair salon. When considering starting a business, one should ask themselves, â€Å"What is the mission for my business? † The mission of a company is the unique purpose that sets it apart from other companies of its type and identifies the scope of its operations (Pearce, & Robinson, 2009). The mission for the selected hair salon is to supply products and services to customers with exceptional customer service. To create a pleasurable environment with high-level professionals, for desired hair and body care results. Our Motto is, â€Å"We keep you neat from your head to your feet. The chosen business strives to use high quality products with passion and courtesy to all clients. The name for the hair salon will be, â€Å"The Malveaux Hair Experience. † The Malveaux Hair Experience needs guiding principles or values considering the topics of culture, social responsibility, and ethics. It is the responsibility of the salon owner to ensure that all personnel are adequately trained, licensed, and understands each service offered (Fulbright, 2004). It is the salon owner responsibility to be aware of the liabilities of the salon, licensed personnel, clean environment, and clean equipment. The social responsibility of a salon is pondering hair trend, marketing, and clients. The salon should be run with individual morals and values as well as the values of the business. In a salon setting, the professionals must have respect for one another. There has to be a strong trust factor with each other personal items and salon products. The salon has personnel has to consist of a group of team players. Although stylist has their own style of artistry, they must all be on the same professional level. Each employee of the salon must portray positive attitudes and leadership skills. Customers will be greeted with a friendly smile and treated fair and with respect. It is the responsibility of the salon’s team members to create an environment that treats people the way he or she expects to be treated and not subject the business to anything short of this type of behavior. The vision, mission, and values guide the organizations strategic direction. The vision, mission, and values of the company help to forecast the business’s success. As long as the business is following the strategic plan by which the foundation and integrity of the company is built, customers will continue to come and receive services. People will spread the word of good service he or she received while visiting The Malveaux Hair Experience. Good values will help the business grow in areas the business could not imagine. If the employees and manager of the business follow the strategic plan of the company, the company will be successful and profitable. The vision, mission, and values will help all employees involved and will allow the team to be on the same accord. This is a perfect example of how to keep team communication consistent and giving excellent customer service to clients. When employees work toward one common goal, the organization is channeled in the right direction. The mission helps to generate possible and desired opportunities. The organization needs to evaluate how the organization addresses customer needs and critique how he or she achieves competitive advantage. The salon has to evaluate the services and products provided to the customers. Evaluate whether or not the needs are met in accordance to the ethics of the business. The business has to evaluate whether or not it is providing services that other salons are not offering. The business has to evaluate the competition it has and make sure its business providing the best customer service. The business can evaluate repeat customers and if the needs are being met. If a customer tells his or her family and friends about the services or services The Malveaux Hair Experience is providing, the word of mouth referrals will be a good evaluation of how the business is doing. This will also provide a way to analyze whether or not the company is meeting the needs of the customers and meeting or exceeding the competitive advantage. This paper explained the importance of a business’s vision, mission, values, and has determined the strategic direction. When a strategic plan is in place, this helps the business determine what needs to be the main focus. Planning helps the business show leadership and direction. The business has to have some direction to achieve goals set for the business. Working with a team of people who focus on the same goal will allow much success for businesses. Strategic management is the set of decision and actions that result in the formulation and implementation of plans designed to achieve a company’s objectives (Pearce, & Robinson, 2009).

Universities: Breaking Down Walls

Do colleges and universities need to change to accommodate students once excluded from the university? This is a powerful question that society needs to know the answer to and the universities need to address. This is also a complicated question that has many facets that need to be addressed. Universities need to accommodate people with the willingness to learn and become educated. The university can†t think that the privileged are the only people that deserve the education they offer; the university has to think on a broader scale and include the once excluded. If this problem were looked at from a financial standpoint, it would hurt the universities, but if this problem were looked at from a social standpoint, it would benefit society as a whole. Mike Rose is a great example of what can happen if the university put some faith in the under-privileged student. The son of an Italian immigrant family, he was placed within the vocational school system. Though placing him within the vocational school system was a mistake due to a clerical error, he played down to expectations beautifully. From those days within the vocational school system to the University of California, Los Angeles were he is now the Professor of Education is a huge testament to the power of education and where it can take someone in life. Education surpasses all boundaries, and education takes someone as far or as high as they want to go, Mike Rose is a shining example of this. Mike Rose also mentions a key aspect of education, which is the support his professors throughout his college and/or entire educational experience. Without help, guidance, and support from your professors, the student, will at times more often than not will feel that education doesn†t want to embrace your efforts, and that is why the support offered from your professors is such a vital part of the education process. Rose also uses great vivid examples in his passage that pertain to the importance of education and shows why it shouldn†t be excluded from anyone willing to accept the challenge of receiving it. The idea of getting an education is the driving force behind anyone and everyone that gets an education. Take for example, Mike Rose†s uncle who came to America from Italy. He came here with nothing, not even an education, and he had to figh(literally) for everything he got, even his education. He was embarrassed in school for not understanding anything that was taught and not being able to read or write, but he overcame these adversities and eventually taught his mother how to sign her name and helped her with everything that she needed from reading flyers to announcements of sales to legal documents. Finally, he took care of all the writing she needed done. This is just one of the many stories Rose used and I use it to show that if education and/or the university embraced Rose†s uncle in his endeavors instead of shunning him, then it would†ve been a much easier transition for him and a richer experience for him and the many others like him. This is an all to familiar place for the underprivileged, but there is a heartfelt story from a brilliant scholar and that person would be Bell Hooks, who came from a poor family that was high on values and family. Hooks decided early on that she wanted more for herself in the was of education, but knew it would be a difficult task to accomplish. When she left her home in the South to pursue her education at Stanford, her parents warned her of the traps and pressures out in the world, but she stood firm with her decision to go to California for schooling. When Hooks arrived at Stanford, she realized that there was a whole other world out there, away from her home in the South. Hooks was tested many times throughout her college experience to change her values to that of the aristocratic values that the university was pushing onto the student body. But Hooks maintained her values that her parents, family, and surroundings had instilled in her, and she moved on to be an educator, not just an educator but also someone that cared about the student†s education. Hooks moved on from Stanford to Harvard and eventually started to lecture all over the country; she even wrote books in a non-academic format so that people of all educational levels could read and understand her message. To look through her eyes the university appears to be a dismal, wrenched place that caters to an affluent, upper class, and white society. Also would you take notice that the university frowned upon black on black relationships and supported a powerful white-supremacist structure. The reason for this outlook is that through her experiences the universities pampered the privileged and didn†t pay attention to the underprivileged. And when the university did let an a underprivileged person walk among them, the university would try to corrupt that individual and have tem change their values to values that were more suited for the university. The aristocratic faculty of the universities would urge people to cut ties to your past and change your values, but all in all, that†s not the way to accommodate the once excluded students; that†s a way to include them but reform them to the university†s way of thinking and to the values the university wants instilled in those individuals. To truly include the underprivileged the universities would have to let them be free: free to think, free to criticize, and free to be themselves. The universities aren†t willing to do that foe the mere fact that they lose their control over the student body. For the university to truly accommodate the once excluded the university would have to change not only its curriculum but also its view on people. It would have to look at a person as just that a person, not as this one†s privileged and this one†s not. Universities have to understand that a person willing to learn is a person worth educating. So in the end the answer to the question do colleges and universities need to accommodate the once excluded students the answer would have to be yes, if the once excluded student is willing to learn.

Recommendation of Ambercrombie & Fitch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Recommendation of Ambercrombie & Fitch - Essay Example Due to the experience, the company will have a benchmark of success for what is achievable. CEO from outside will bring a new perspective and cutting-edge approach. It has been proven through research that outside CEOs with new ideas spend more resources on research and development, and their decisions shows commitment to innovation. Outside talent is necessary so as to breathe fresh life into the firm (Blumberg, et al. 2013). By going outside for a new CEO, the company will send a strong message to its entire workforce and the board that the company recognizes the importance of change, and is ready to invest in its future. A new CEO with new ideas isn’t burdened by the past and is able quickly make a big impact to the company. Hiring a new CEO from outside is what the company requires so as to reach the desired growth. Companies’ changes are ever constant in recent times, as accelerating technology, economic volatility, and globalization are indicators that times for business as usual are long gone. As a result, a lot of companies have been compelled to innovate, pivot, or rethink their strategies entirely. Ambercrombie & Fitch can also go the same route by changing its cultures. Leaders have discovered that in some situations, these steps are challenging and some are even impossible to perform without altering the culture that is associated with the company. A different strategy may call upon the change of the entire culture mind-set of the organization; ‘the way we do things around here’. It is necessary for the leadership of the company to own and be engaged in the process. Only through ownership and engagement can the leadership ensure that Ambercrombie & Fitch is fully aligned and there is the right organizational structure in place, a system that is relevant, the correct management practices, and the required talent in place so as to grow in the desired direction. The

Comparative paper between Socrates and Thomas More trials; Essay

Comparative paper between Socrates and Thomas More trials; - Essay Example This goes against the conscience of many, but the law permits it hence it takes a lot of courage to follow conscience and go against the requirement. Looking at such circumstances one quickly reflects to Saint Thomas More and Socrates. It compels one to dig deep to the cause of their deaths. However, there are several similarities and differences as to what they stood for and how the society perceived them. It is important to note that the comparison between Socrates and Thomas More trials should begin with a brief introduction of the two individuals and a brief background of what transpired during the two trials. Similarly, the similarities and differences will be clear after a thorough analysis of the two scenarios. However, this will be in line with consciousness, belief and religion. Additionally, how these elements are brought out in each case, the similarities and differences or how they were manifested in each trial. Socrates has always been perceived as a wise individual; in fact, he has been considered the face of humanity. However, he created a major impact in the society as a virtuous man due to his high level of education at the time (Arendt and Baehr 397). He was a pagan and sought deeper and true religion beyond the Greek religion; he did not believe much in religion and the worship of gods. The fact that Socrates was a philosopher made him question everything including religion. At that time, most people worshipped gods but he did not believe in them. Nevertheless people treated him with a lot of respect even the learned also acknowledged him. In the ancient days religion played a very critical role in the society. Those who did not follow religion were strongly condemned hence due to this pressure most people worshiped gods. In 406B.C, at the age of sixty-three, he became a member of the by then well-known sub-council called

Education, in particular equality in education Essay

Education, in particular equality in education - Essay Example In one of his Lectures on education, Emerson declared that the whole theory of schooling and education is on the mother’s knee (1). A child learns to skate, fish, make snowballs and hit a mark with a stone. This is education, the same way learning the secrets of science, history and literature is. What is important is to respect the student and impart knowledge that catches a student’s attention and brings out the genius in him. However, education today is governed by the steam instead of meeting the needs of each individual mind. According to Freire’s Educational Theory, it is important for the teachers to recognize that the students are thinking subjects rather than objects (90). Therefore, it is not possible for information to be transferred from a teacher to the learner and simply memorized. This transference of knowledge needs to be shaped through discussions and reflections and comprehended for it to be called education. He also believed that a teacher should try Humans are members of not only the society they live in, but also the world. Every human being is linked to another and it is crucial for human beings to understand each other rather than focusing on what benefits they can derive from one another, especially in times of globalization where the world has become an interdependent global village. This understanding can be gained through Liberal Education as derived by Martha Nussbaum. Nussbaum, in her article ‘Liberal Education & Global Community’ wrote that the system of higher education in many countries focuses on a single pre-professional subject whereas, the liberal arts universities will cultivate humanity within students and allow them to deal with other humans through human understanding rather than economic and political connections (2-3). According to Armstrong, Doctor Howard Gardner proposed the

Crime-Prevention Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crime-Prevention Strategies - Essay Example Crime prevention techniques are being introduced by the criminologists so that the people avoid doing any crimes. These crime prevention techniques are basically designed to lessen the prospects of committing specific crimes by people. And these techniques are further known as the Situational Crime Prevention Techniques. In the world today the crime rate is increasing day by day as the punishments granted by the government have not proved enough for the culprit to avoid the offense the next time. Seeing this situation in the world the criminologists have adopted the way of preventing crime rather than bringing the criminals to justice. And thus the process of 'Situational Crime Prevention' came into use. This word derived by the criminologists meant to make the offenders avoid the crimes they are about to commit through different ways. The opportunities which the offenders get due to lack of security and other factors are analyzed by the criminologists. By the process of Situational Crime Prevention the criminologists aim to lessen the opportunities which the offenders are getting to commit the crime. i.e. if a person who is rich and does not get protection from guards may have the chance to get robbed. And here the role of the Crime Prevention comes when they make the rich person have proper securi ty. The problem of crime was arising in the housing sector when the burglars were entering the houses and robbing the people of their possessions. This situation was closely analyzed by the criminologists and a solution was sorted out with the help of Situational Crime Prevention. This solution made the houses have a good architectural design which would make the offenders avoid entering the premises of the house. For e.g. if the house is well lit in the night and secured, the offenders would avoid taking the risk of entering it. Similarly other Situational Crime Prevention techniques make use of such tools and designs. The techniques included the better structuring of buildings and the possible targets being secured more properly. The possible targets were analyzed by their market demand. Situational Crime Prevention is based on some principles so as to the crime can be fully avoided. The set-up of a certain possible target is made such that the effort required to rob or commit a c rime on that target is made much higher. This discourages the offender from committing the crime. For e.g. to enter a certain building one may have to cross the walls but the walls of the building would be made so tall that no person would be able to enter it without support. Similarly the risk involved in committing a crime would be made such that the offender would not dare to commit it. For e.g. the security alarms would be so enhanced that any person who may enter the premises may be caught or the person may be shot dead at the very moment. In particular the security of a certain place or person would be increased. The rewards or the loot of the possible target would be made as lower as possible so it wouldn't attract the offenders. The governments are taking such measures that the stolen material is not easily sold in the market. And anyone caught selling it may be brought to justice by the court of law. Car stereos are being made removable so that it is not easy to steal these stereos. And lastly the feeling

An analysis of the security implication of immigration in the Essay

An analysis of the security implication of immigration in the Sultanate of Oman from 2009 till 2014 and its implication for future immigration policy - Essay Example Conversely, the immigrants have negatively affected Oman in a certain way, as unemployment has risen significantly in various sectors within the country. This is a result of lack of higher studies and presence of immigrant labours and others in the country. Furthermore, to tackle with the problems of high level of immigration in Oman, the government of the nation has emerged with the concept of ‘Omanization’ Policy in the year 19881. The policy was aimed at significantly reducing the number of immigrants in the country by replacing them with the nationals and to provide them with the opportunity to sustain and develop within the country. Furthermore, because of increased number of immigrants and a constant rise in the expatriate population in Oman, the government of the country has taken considerable steps to reduce inflow of foreign expatriates in the country and encourage the people at large. Furthermore, with an aim to reduce the range of problems faced by the nationals, government of Oman has taken action-oriented steps towards reformation of the existing laws, apart from engaging in bilateral trade agreements with the nations sending immigrants in Oman. Additionally, Oman government has also taken considerable strides towards protection of the migrants, dwelling from Oman2. With the information gathered from nationalists regarding the rising concerns about the illegal immigration in Oman, the government of the country has employed the use of restrictive policies towards the unlawful immigrations. The government of Oman introduced a temporary ban on the immigrants coming from the labour sending nations such as India and Bangladesh to deal with the issue. Furthermore, the government of Oman postponed the issuance of visa to the immigrants from the year 2012, when the country stopped issuing visa to Bangladeshi immigrants. Apart from these aspects the government of Oman and other Gulf nations, have invested high amount

Designation of Kahane Chai Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Designation of Kahane Chai - Research Paper Example As the result of the growing conflict in the Middle East, in the year 1947 following the War, the United Nations proposed a partition plan for British ruled Palestine. According to this plan, Palestine would have an Independent Jewish State and an Independent Arab State within recommended boundaries and a call for an economic union. The city of Jerusalem was however given a special shared status, proposed by the United Nations to accommodate the religious interests of both Arabs and Jews in the city. The treaty was signed in November 29th, 1947 and called for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom before 1st April 1948 from Palestine. This treaty was however met with mixed reactions by the respective Jewish and Arab nationalists. The Jewish community in Palestine accepted this proposal by the United Nations while the Arab committee and the Arab League rejected this proposal. This resulted in a civil war within the transitional period established by the United Nations and the partition plan was never carried out. Israel, however, proceeded to declare itself an independent state away from the British mandate of Palestine as awarded by Syria after World War I. This move by Israel led to aggression by neighboring Arab States. In this article, we will examine the rise of some Israeli radical thinkers and political activists groups such as Kach and Kahane Chai in the midst of this ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Excel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Excel - Essay Example But if the average is considered, then S & P 500 is a better company to invest in. Mean and median are two types of averages and are the most common. Mean is the average which is realized when you add up all the numbers and then divide by the count of the numbers, in this case after calculating the mean value for each of the firms, we realized the following data outputs, Abbots Laboratories 34.51503, Unilever realized a mean of 37.05433 while S & P500 realized a mean of 1654.891. The median is the middle value in the list of various numbers, to obtain median the numbers are listed in numerical order, after calculations we realized the following data, Abbotts Laboratory a median of 34.75, Unilever realized a median of 38.11 and S&P 500 realized 1649.6. The range on the other hand is the difference between the largest and the smallest values in a group of data, the range of the firms were as follows, Abbotts Laboratory realized a range of 21.14, the Unilever realized a range of 16.57 and finally S&P 500 realized a range of 810.96. Median =where L is the lower limit of the interval containing the median, N the total number of scores, FW is the frequency or the number of scores within the interval containing the median, and I is the range of the interval. In finance and accounting, variance is a term used to measure the degree of risk in an investment. It is obtained by calculating the average of the squared deviations from the mean rate of return. The standard deviation is the representation of the risk associated with a given security (stocks, bonds) or the risk of a portfolio of securities and it is obtained by taking the square root of the variance. Table below shows the report on the mean, median, range, variance and Standard deviation based on the weekly returns of each of the three assets. Statistically these value returns helps investors understand he financial market

Organizational Project Management Maturity Model Essay Example for Free

Organizational Project Management Maturity Model Essay 1. Introduction Successful implementation of a new organizational strategy can turn a good organization into a great one. Conversely, strategies that fail or generate poor results can quickly damage the organization’s reputation and brand, internally and externally. Effective strategy execution is the responsibility of all levels of management, who must be involved actively and consistently to orchestrate required organizational changes and to manage the portfolio of investments that underpin these change initiatives. The Organizational Project Management Maturity Model is a framework that provides an organization wide view of portfolio management, program management, and project management to support achieving best Practices within each of these domains. This holistic perspective is a powerful tool enabling successful execution of organizational strategies, portfolios, programs, and projects, especially when these transcend functional and hierarchical boundaries. Moreover, OPM3 global best Practices, applied to the execution of strategy, can drive superior and sustainable results. Effective strategy execution is the responsibility of the organization’s strategic planning and governance structures, which must be involved accurately and consistently to orchestrate required organizational changes. They manage the portfolio of investments that underpin these change initiatives. 2. Organizational project management Organizational project management is the systematic management of projects, programs and portfolios in allignment with the achievements of strategic goals. The concept of organizational project management is based on the idea that there is correlation between organization’s capabilities in project management, program management and portfolio management and its effectiveness implementing strategy. Organizational Project Management Project Portfolio Program Strategic Goals * Project – A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. * Program – A group of realated projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually. * Portfolio – Acolloection of projects or programs and other work that are grouped together to facilitate effective management to meet strategic business objectives. 3. OPM3 Model OPM3 is an acronym for the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model, a standard wich is developed under the stewardship of the project management institute. The purpose of this standard is to provide a way for organizations to understand organizational project management and to measure their maturity against a comprehensive and broad based set of organizational project management best practices. OPM3 also helps organizations to increase their organizational project management maturity to plan for improvement. 4.1. Primary physical parts of the standard There are three parts; i. Narrative text – presents the OPM3 foundational concepts, with various appendices and glossary ii. Self assessment – provide a tool in support of the assessment step out lined in OPM3 iii. Directories – contain data on nearly 600 organizational project management best practices and their constituent capabilities 4.2. OPM3 Stages There are four sequential stages of process improvement; STANDARDIZE| MEASURE| CONTROL| CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVEMENT| 4. How does the OPM3 work? OPM3 offers the key to organizational project management maturity with three interlocking elements; i. The KNOWLEDGE element lets organizations uncover hundreds of Best Practices and shows them how to use the information available in OPM3. ii. The self ASSESSMENT element is an interactive database tool that lets organizations evaluate their current situation and identify their areas in need of improvement should an organization decided to embark on the path to higher maturity. iii. The IMPROVEMENT element will help map out the steps needed to achieve their goals. * KNOWLEDGE element which drives Assessment * ASSESSMENT element which in turn drives Improvement * IMPROVEMENT element. 5. Benefits of OPM3 to the organization I. It bridges the gap between strategy and individual project. II. It provides a comprehensive body of knowledge regarding what constitutes best practices in organizational project management. III. By using OPM3, an organization can determine exactly which organizational project management best practices and capabilities it does and does not have. IV. If the organization decides to pursue improvements, OPM3 provides guidance on prioritizing and planning. 6. What kind of commitment is required to launch OPM3 in an organization? The process of applying OPM3 in an organization is difficult to quantify. It depends on factors such as the size, complexity and initial maturity of the organization, the thoroughness of the assessment, the nature of the organization’s strategic objectives, and the level of resources available also impact any estimate. However, the assessment portion of such an initiative is most likely to take from several weeks to several months. Should an organization decide to embark upon improvements, the planning and implementation steps are likely to take longer, depending on how many best practices and related capabilities an organization decides to work on at one time. 7. Importance of OPM3 to the project management profession The Project Manager Competency Development Framework is the standard to guide the professional development of project of project managers and those aspiring to be project managers. OPM3 is the first iteration of a standard for organizations. It has the potential to create a new environment for those who are working in the project management profession, by illuminating the important link between projects and organizational strategy and the importance of organizational support to project management practices. The information in OPM3 is based on very broad based input from project management practitioners and consultants. 8. Summary The current global economic climate has ushered in an era of uncertainty that throws the importance of Organizational Project Management (OPM) maturity into sharp relief. It is critical for organizations to renew their ability to create cost efficiencies, economies of scale and agility to adapt to the changing business environment through projects. Companies need the organizational capability to choose the right projects, manage costs, and innovate. They need the organizational capability to delivery projects successfully, consistently, and predictably. The Project Management Institutes OPM3 Standard was developed with input from thousands of project practitioners and represents best practices in Project, Program, and Portfolio Management. OPM3 incorporates the PMIs PMBOK Guide, the most widely adopted standard for managing individual projects, and expands this into the domains of Program Management and Portfolio Management. OPM3 emphasizes choosing the right projects to advance organizational strategies and implementing the processes, structures, and behaviors necessary to deliver projects successfully, consistently, and predictabl y. Standardization of project work methods lays the foundation for achieving higher levels of maturity and excellence to create the organizational agility and resilience you need in todays marketplace. Leading organizations of all types and sizes across multiple industries are adopting OPM3 to transform their ability to close the gap between strategic intent and tactical outcomes through successful project selection and delivery. The preferred method for implementing OPM3 begins with an OPM3 Assessment by a PMI certified OPM3 Professional. 9. References * Project Management Institute, Inc. (2003). Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3). Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3). 1 (1), 1-195. * Project Management Institute, Inc. (2004). An executives guide to OPM3. An executives guide to OPM3. 1 (1), 1-5.